The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-10-02
A LITTLE ~sOCIALOGY.

every man, woman, aud child that make
UP the community. And the very best
and most benevolent and widely beneficial
thing that anyone can do is to do his duty
faithfully in his place. Just this way
in a system Of machinery, a pivot. a
wheel, or a regulator serves best in hold
ing. in turning. in indicating truly and
precisely in the place where it is located.
If it sways from its place, or over does its
work, it creates disorder and causes con-
fusion. These are very plain N obvious
truths, but alas, how unfamiliar The
common idea is that the world is only a
great common, a great arena, and that
laws are little more than rules OF the
game, arrangements 10 keep oil the
crowd and enable the strong and smart,
the social gamesters, to devour their prey.
All higher views Of life are sentiment
all regard for humanity is fanaticism
and single hearted love Of duty is fanati-
cism. All high manhood is visionary
and the world, the flesh, and the devil
are the all and all of life. The world is a
great ocean where the big fish are to live
on the little ones. The laws are currents
that the whales can rush through that
only sweep small fry into instaiable gull
lets. Indeed, a big whale knows how
with his own bulk to make a great fol-
lowing to fill his appetite according to
the laws Of hydraulics.
The great ocean Of the American pub
lie has Of late years been very plainly IL
Illustrating these observations. The pomp
and grandeur and sublime impudence Of
Tweeds, Sheppards, and gigantic land
grabbers and railroad wreckers have
fairly bewildered and amazed the people
50 that their dazzled eyes have not been
able to distinguish the lawles-ness, yil
lainv. and rank essential Anarchism of
oyerpowering tyrants. Nevertheless,
so far citizenship, law and order have
partially asserted their dominion. Thieves
and scoundrels and society cowboys have
been punished orrun beyond our borders.
The fashion of investigating jobs, and
furnishing offenders, heroism in the office
of prosecuting attorneys, social life-say-
ing stations, and fearlessness in judgment
are growing more and more in favor.
And American virtue and character are
more and more making American citizen
ship 10 be an honor.
But the general safety, general conf
dence, and general prosperity can alone
advance on the basis Of public and in
diyidual virtue. And society is only safe
and enduring as far as it works on prin-
ciple and promotes the public good.
Anarchism, that in the name Of law and
order peryerts constitution and laws,
to private ends and 10 the damage Of
the people, is, if anything more d%ireful,
the more fatal enemy Of society than
GeOrgeism or Nihillsm.
Herr Mosts and Anarchists would have
no hearing or following in this country
but for the existence of wrong, oppres-
sion and injustice somewhere. They are
skin diseases and boils, working off as
well as manifesting p%eryading disorder
in the general system. They are to be
gotten rid of, as tumOurs are opened and
cut of and cauterized. The seeds Of cor
ruption and wrong must be removed and
healed.
But if the law is to be made TO allow
or approve wIong-to protect tyranny
monopoly, and injustice, we can onlyex-
pect in more and more aggravated shape,
rebellion, revolution, riot, lynch law, and
strikes.
II is no small matter when this country
has quietly to read Of great deals in
wheat, in pork, or in any other proyis-
ions. 1t is no small trial of the public
patience when railroad magnates, by
grand deals, get possession of the great
highways, devouring the interests Of
small holders.
II is no small thing when a syndicate
combines to defeat the efforts of author
tiles. to relieve or avert public dis
tress. The people were not made for
tyranny or wrong i'm any shape. Natural
right will assert itself. The bombs of
the Anarchists did hardly cause greater
suffering than has been inflicted by dis
tinguished manipulltoTs of provisions.
And the natural sequence to the hanging
ofthe seven Anarchists may be quick JUS
tice by some means brother 10 seven great
disturbers Of social equilibrium selected
from the higher grade. As the law has
sublimcly triumphed against one class of
offenders, so natural justice may vim
dictate itself against another. Nature
abhors partialities. The law Of compen-
sation is an old one.